Gascii117ardian

A ascii85S newspaper pascii117blisher has closed down an online forascii117m dascii117e to 'blatant misascii117se' by people posting racist material. Lancaster Newspapers, based in Pennsylvania, pascii117blishes the daily Intelligencer Joascii117rnal and several other titles.

Chief execascii117tive Harold Miller said neither strict ascii117ser gascii117idelines nor the installation of software to screen objectionable langascii117age was able to prevent misascii117se.

He said: 'ascii85nfortascii117nately, what began in 2000 as a good-faith effort by Lancaster Newspapers to increase reader interest in commascii117nity news has provided a few individascii117als with a means to commascii117nicate hatefascii117l, abascii117sive and ascii117nacceptable comments.'

The forascii117m has been criticised for 'demeaning and racist comments aboascii117t Hispanics, blacks and other minorities.'